United Way of Grayson County ECC Guide 2021

713 E. Brocket Street, Sherman, TX 75091 | 903-893-1920 | unitedwaygrayson.org

What is an ECC? Employee Campaign Coordinator – A person who helps his/her organization with United Way and leads the organization’s annual United Way campaign through planning, implementation, and evaluation.

What does an ECC do?

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Educates co-workers about United Way and provides opportunities for them to get engaged Assembles a committee of volunteers; your colleagues help you build support for the campaign Sets goal for giving and volunteering (number of donors, dollars raised, hours pledged) Hold a campaign kickoff and coordinates other special events Distributes United Way materials and pledge forms to colleagues; prepares and submits completed pledge forms to United Way

Benefits of being an ECC -

Showcase your leadership and project management skills at work Network with colleagues at your organization and in other industries Create positive impact in our community

Your team at UWGC -

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Director of Development | United Way staff member who assists ECCs with campaign efforts, including year-round activities o Katie Eubank keubank@unitedwaygrayson.org Office: 903-893-1920 ext. 2 Cell: 832-651-2071 Director of Finance | United Way staff member who processes pledge forms made during campaign o Daniela Dill ddill@unitedwaygrayson.org 903-893-1920 ext. 3

713 E. Brocket Street, Sherman, TX 75091 | 903-893-1920 | unitedwaygrayson.org

Campaign Timeline Pre-Campaign 4 to 6 weeks before Campaign Kickoff Attend ECC Training -

Host planning meetings with Director of Development and/or number of volunteers for your team

Analyze past results and set campaign goal: dollar amount and/or number of participants -

Build campaign team Plan Kickoff event

Attend United Way’s Kickoff Breakfast on September 8th at First United Bank Taylor Street (8:009:00am)

Campaign Duration: 1 week to 1 month Host a kickoff event with Director of Development in attendance -

Conduct leadership giving meeting Encourage volunteers to talk about campaign and giving options Schedule personal asks Send emails about activities (reminders about events, last day of campaign giving, volunteer opportunities, etc.)

Collect pledge forms

Post-Campaign Duration: 1 Week Announce results to company Thank volunteers and employees with an event, email, or letter -

Debrief with Director of Development Coordinate year-round engagement activities for your employees

713 E. Brocket Street, Sherman, TX 75091 | 903-893-1920 | unitedwaygrayson.org

Best Practices Top-Level Support and Corporate Match Endorsement from your company’s CEO/President is vital to the overall success of your United Way fundraising efforts. A corporate match on employee dollars is a great way to incentivize a donor’s pledge.

Conduct a fun and educational campaign -Don’t run your campaign alone- form a committee of volunteers!

- Use incentives to turn special events donations into payroll deductions/monthly pledges - Educate before asking: communicate United Way’s work in Grayson County and the needs of our community -Promote United Way via social media and internal resources.

Engage Leadership to strengthen your company’s investment -

United Way leadership donors are leaders in their organization, leaders in our community and leaders in generosity.

The success of UWGC depends on the community working together to change people’s lives and create lasting results.

Goal-Setting Worksheet Set a challenging, yet attainable goal. Be ambitious but realistic so your co-workers have an attainable goal to reach.

2020 Totals

2021 Goals

_______________________________ Employee Contributions

________________________________ Employee Contributions

_______________________________ Corporate Gift

________________________________ Corporate Match/Gift

_______________________________ # of Participants

________________________________ # of Participants

Review and Wrap-Up -Thank all your donors -Provide copies of your pledge forms to your payroll department -Meet with Director of Development to review the campaign envelope -Inform your leadership team of the campaign results -Plan year-round activities with your Director of Development, like donation drives and volunteer events that match your company’s focus area.

713 E. Brocket Street, Sherman, TX 75091 | 903-893-1920 | unitedwaygrayson.org

Strategies for a Successful Ask HOW TO ASK FOR A PLEDGE

Get Donors’ undivided attention -

Start the discussion on a positive, friendly note Explain the purpose

Explain United Way and Why you support us -

Bring UWGC materials and be prepared to explain the materials. Provide flyers to each person or use a front-of-the-room presentation.

Invite UWGC’s Director of Development to shrae more information about UWGC and how donations are making a difference in our community Share a personal story, success story or allow time or a volunteer to share their success story

Ask for the Pledge -

With new donors, ask for a first time gift and offer an incentive for giving For annual donors, encourage or incentivize them to increase their gift Consider asking or a specific increase, such as $1 more a week or pay period or a 10% increase Offer incentives for turning in a pledge form the day of your campaign meeting Encourage employees to turn in their pledge form the day of the meeting

Answer the questions and handle concerns -

Know your materials and answer questions honestly- never guess If you don’t know the answer to a question, let the donor know you will find out and then follow up with UWGC’s Director of Development Recognize that some donors have real concerns; people have a right to feel good about their gift

Say “Thank you” -

Regardless of what the donor decides, thank them for their time People like to know their gift is appreciated

713 E. Brocket Street, Sherman, TX 75091 | 903-893-1920 | unitedwaygrayson.org

The Power of a Campaign Presentation A Campaign Presentation is a great way to ease the burden of “making the ask”. It allows United Way and a partner agency to be represented as one. More than just that, the remarkable stories the agencies bring will truly show the difference we are making in our community.

Below is a sample agenda and some key talking points to help you have a successful campaign.

Sample Meeting Agenda ITEM Opening Remarks CEO or Leadership Endorsement United Way Overview & Video Stories that Matter The Ask Closing Remarks

PRESENTER DURATION ECC 2 minutes CEO 1 to 5 minutes UWGC Director of Development 5 minutes Partner Agency 5-10 minutes ECC, DD, or CEO 2 minutes ECC 2 minutes MOST IMPORTANT- SAY THANK YOU!

Key Talking Points -

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United Way of Grayson County has been serving our community since 1942.

UWGC is led by local people just like you and the decisions on how we operate and who receives funding are made locally.

You can make the decision where your money goes by making a Donor Designation. Donor Designations can be made to any 501C3 non-profit organization.

By giving through UWGC your gift is multiplied because they help organizations like yours to reach more donors than they could alone.

It’s not just money that partner agencies receive. UWGC also supports the agencies in other ways like volunteer placement, marketing, and providing access to additional services for their clients.

UWGC uses a process to ensure your dollar goes to addressing our most pressing issues facing the community today. Currently our Top 3 needs are Affordable Housing, Rental and Utility Assistance, and Food Insecurity.

UWGC runs the only Workplace Campaign in Grayson County. It allows people to make a donation on a regular basis. This allows partner agencies to be able to count a consistent funding source.

713 E. Brocket Street, Sherman, TX 75091 | 903-893-1920 | unitedwaygrayson.org

Incentive Ideas Below are prize ideas your company can offer to encourage participation and incentivize giving.

Tip: Ask your coworkers what services or skills they can donate. This makes the prize personalized and at no additional cost to the company. Examples include: donated photography sessions for headshots or family photos, baked goods or a home cooked meal, fitness instruction, knitted scarves and more!

713 E. Brocket Street, Sherman, TX 75091 | 903-893-1920 | unitedwaygrayson.org

Campaign Tools United Way provides a variety of both print and digital materials for you to use in building a campaign that will be most effective for your company.

Here are the items you can choose from:

PRINT You may order quantities of any of these materials that United Way will print and deliver to you

Campaign Brochure Gives a brief overview of what United Way does and what impact your gift to United Way can make in our community.

Dollars that make a difference flyer Letter-sized flyer gives specific examples of what an individual gift provides

Pledge Forms Paper versions of our pledge form are available for all campaigns.

Impact Reports Six month reports which demonstrate how your donations are changing lives in our local community

Campaign Thermometer Keep employees up-to-date on how the campaign is going by displaying and updating a Thermometer

DIGITAL Digital Slides Displays on screens (intranet, televisions and other internal screens) which share UWGC results, success stories and other information *These are also available as printed posters

Videos Variety of videos from community partner agencies, local community members, and UWGC volunteers

713 E. Brocket Street, Sherman, TX 75091 | 903-893-1920 | unitedwaygrayson.org

Key Messaging/ FAQs Elevator Speech The United Way of Grayson County helps people in our community reach their full potential. We do this by investing in our community programs that positively impact those in need through every part of their lives. Our work is about connecting children, teens, adults, and families with the tools and support they need to thrive.

In short, United Way of Grayson County solves problems that lower the cost to our community by mobilizing the best resources to find new solutions to old problems.

Frequently Asked Questions You may occasionally encounter a co-worker who questions contributing to the United Way. Keep in mind that these questions or concerns offer you an opportunity to present more information. Our goal is to give potential donors the tools to make an informed decision about whether to support our work, Here are some insights into handling concerns: -

Objections are often based on incorrect information. Try to identify the real issue.

Don’t argue. Instead, offer information about the many ways United Way helps people or offer to discuss further after the group meeting.

Don’t be afraid to say you don’t know. Let those with questions know you’ll get back with them.

Then call United Way at 903-893-1920 or visit our information for more info: www.unitedwaygrayson.org

Where does my money go?

All funds donated to the United Way of Grayson County stay here to help those within our community, with the exception of a penny and half going to United Way Worldwide. United Way Worldwide provides a wealth of knowledge, training and assistance for operating our local United Way. United Way of Grayson County provides funding to over 20 partner non-profit agencies which help children and empower families to thrive.

Administrative Costs UWGC’s administrative costs are 8%. The Better Business Bureau recommends that all nonprofit organizations should have administrative costs of 25 to 35% or less.

713 E. Brocket Street, Sherman, TX 75091 | 903-893-1920 | unitedwaygrayson.org

Closing Out Campaign Handling Paper Pledge Forms During Campaign At the close of your campaign, follow up with your staff to ensure no one has forgotten to submit their pledge form to you.

The following information is required in order for the pledge form to be processed: -

Name Address Employer Total Annual Gift Employee Signature

Reach out to the United Way to pick up your completed campaign envelope, along with pledge forms, and any special event money raised.

Thank Your Staff -Award staff with any incentives offered and won during the campaign - Send a thank you email to everyone -Publish a short story, photo, and the results of your campaign in the company newsletter or social media.

-Consider hosting an event for staff to celebrate your success and their generosity

Tips for Year- Round Engagement Advocate & Volunteer -Stay up to date on United Way’s Work by following us on social media or subscribing to our email list -Participate in social media campaigns by providing United Way with short “Why I Give” quotes from your co-workers

713 E. Brocket Street, Sherman, TX 75091 | 903-893-1920 | unitedwaygrayson.org

2021 Campaign Pillar Sponsors Financial Stability

Education

Health

713 E. Brocket Street, Sherman, TX 75091 | 903-893-1920 | unitedwaygrayson.org